Low

Composed of several unique forests that are associated with specific rock substrates at low to mid-elevations, these forests occupy the driest sites, and some sites are driven by fire while others are unaffected. Eastern red cedar, common in the absence of fire, is typically found in an open, stunted canopy with sugar maple, northern red and white oak, pignut hickory, eastern redbud, and hackberry. Pitch pine, Virginia pine, scrub oak, and white oak can occupy the driest areas.

These forests are transitional between central hardwood and northern hardwood forests. Common species may include sugar maple, yellow birch, American beech, eastern hemlock, white pine, red maple, and red oak.

Forests and barrens dominated by pitch pine and scrub oak forests are found on xeric sites with deep, sandy soils. This is a fire-dependent system, where more frequent fires will promote pines.

These forests are found in dry to mesic conditions across a variety of sites in southern New England. Dominant species may include several oak species, especially red, white, black, or scarlet oak, and other hardwood species.

This forest ecosystem includes major patch-forming forests and woodlands where soils are generally xeric, sandy, and have low water holding capacity. Common species include white oak, black oak, chestnut oak, mockernut hickory, pignut hickory, scarlet oak, shortleaf pine, pitch pine, Virginia pine, eastern white pine, Table Mountain pine, and scrub oak.

Both systems typically have 30% canopy cover or less with a well-developed herbaceous layers. Barrens are found on shallow, excessively well-drained soils, and savannas are found on deeper soils. Both experience frequent low-intensity fires. Dominant species include blackjack, post, black, white, chinquapin, chestnut, and bur oak; shagbark and black hickory; eastern redcedar, and shortleaf pine.

Open woodlands have 30-50% canopy cover, excessively well-drained soils, and are typically found on flat ridgetops. They experience very frequent, low-intensity fires. Dominant species include blackjack, white, chinquapin, and post oak;black hickory; eastern redcedar and shortleaf pine.

Closed woodlands have 50-90% canopy cover, excessively well-drained soils, and are typically found on steep slopes. They experience frequent, low-intensity fires. Dominant species include black, white, and scarlet oak; mockernut and shagbark hickory; and shortleaf pine.